[Ricochet]

I had a few of the clone speaker-mics and was mired by constant issues, one of which was the mic staying keyed, or picking up the incoming signal but not getting the voice with it. Just headaches.

Datawraith I hear what you're saying, but I'll lay it out for you. Real-steel grade radios, at least the ones that are functional for airsoft, are very expensive, some in upwards of a $1,000. Also unless you find one used that has a still solid battery you will likely need a license to purchase them. The low-end, hand-programmable radios, such as Baofeng, Wouxun, etc, are actually pretty solid, they're also cheap and will normally last years and years. I think my Wouxun is about six now.

Headsets are different however. Sure the high end ones can be hundred and hundreds of dollars, but there's a much larger array of options out there. The unfortunate part is that the vast majority of clones, repros, airsoft level, etc, are complete shit or just plain unreliable. The truth is you don't just need it to work, but it has to work well, clear communication, etc. Luckily of you buy a quality product you won't have to ever replace it (probably).

So to sum up, you can get low-end radios safely, but don't get low-end headsets. You certainly don't have to spend $130 on a speaker-mic, there are cheaper ones that'll do, but it certainly wouldn't be a waste of money, also, that's not that expensive for reliable and clear comms. Expect to spend over $60 at any rate, and if you're going for a speaker-mic that won't include the earpiece.